From a basement shop to his own retail store, Joe refused to let go of his dream!

December 4, 2020December 4, 2020

Being born to Peruvian parents, according to statistics, Joe is a minority. But for Joe Antayhua, this label did not define him or stop him from pursuing his dreams.

At age 24, Joe runs a successful Buy, Sell, Trade store in Old Town Manassas called The People’s Place.

The People’s Place: Photo Credit Instagram: thepeoplesplace703

Joe received a lot of experience from working various positions in retail outlets around the Northern Virginia area, so he felt he had the tools and knowledge to start and grow his business.

In 2017, with $400 and his own personal clothing, Joe opened shop from his basement.

Joe worked very hard for two years, learning all he could about running and managing a store, and in 2019 he was ready to open shop in a storefront!

Having a special fondness for Old Town Manassas, it was one of the first places he checked for a spot and would immediately find a place that he would soon call home.

The People’s Place features vintage clothing and sneakers. He loves offering unique items and fan favorites that keep customers coming back.

Seeing his business grow has been one of the best rewards for Joe. This year he had a vendor do a Pop-Up shop at his location, which generated such a large turnout that customers were situated along the entire street waiting for the store to open.

Thanks to his early success, Joe has been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to travel to California in search of vintage finds to offer at his shop. But unfortunately, due to the covid-19 pandemic, future travel plans for rare finds have been cut short, but Joe still manages to offer his typical wares by ensuring proper social distancing and limitations on the number of customers allowed in the store at one time.

Joe’s message to those like him who have a dream of running their own business is this, “anything you’re passionate about you can work hard and can turn it into a source of income.”

If you are looking to buy, sell or trade authentic vintage wear, check out his shop in Old Town Manassas!